The Mysterious Island
by robinsparkles14
Summary: Birthday fic done by request, should be about six parts. the idea is, "What if Rumpelstiltskin was on the plane?" pairing is RumplexClaire. Title stolen from Mary Margaret's book in OUAT.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Mysterious Island

**Rating:** T

**Fandoms**: Once Upon a Time and LOST

**Pairing:** RumpelstiltskinxClaire

**Summary:** Claire Littleton meets a strange man on her flight to Los Angeles. When the plane crashes, she is taken on a much different adventure than she expected.

**Notes**: Alternate universe, Belle never existed. Does not follow the plot of LOST. The title is taken from Mary Margaret's book in the ONCE episode "7:15AM"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the unexpected turbulence."

The plane jolts up and down and to all sides. Claire leans back in her seat, wrapping her arms around her swollen belly tenderly and panting softly. She's never liked flying muhc to begin with, and the turbulence isn't helping. She tries to convince herself that the couple thay crazy psychic had promised her would be perfect parents to her baby were as wonderful as he had made them out to be. After all, she was flying all the way from Sydney to Los Angeles for them.

She had been incredibly hesitant about giving up her baby, not that she would let anyone know that. But the words of that crazy psychic stuck with her, and a little part of her was hoping the entire adoption would go wrong. It wasn't that she wanted to be a mom. She had never been ready for that, even when Thomas told her she was. It was that she half-believed that she really was the only one who was supposed to raise this baby. Because no matter what anyone who adopted him wanted to say, in her mind the baby would always be hers. He wasn't even born yet and she had formed an attachment to him. And maybe that's just motherly instinct that all women have, but to Claire it feels like something more than that.

The plane shakes again and she squeezes her arms around her belly a little tighter, as if protecting her baby from the bumps in the air.

"You don't need to be so worried," a low voice with a Scottish accent says. Claire turns and sees the owner of it, the man who has been sitting next to her the entire flight but never bothered speaking to her until now. He's thin, but not so much so that he looks scrawny, and he has slightly graying pepper colored hair. A cane is leaning again his left armrest and it sends a surge of pity through Claire. This man can hardly walk, and yet she complains about the pregnancy wearing her down.

"Yes, I know," she says, "I'm just, um, not used to it, I guess."

He nods and glances off. "Don't worry. We will get where we are needed."

Claire sighs. "Yeah, well, I don't think I'm actually needed in Los Angeles."

The man laughs softly. "I'm afraid I'll have to agree with you on that, dearie."

"Then why are you here? On this plane, flight..." She pulls her ticket from her jacket pocket and glances at the number, "815?"

"It was...necessary to be on this flight," he says slowly.

"Why was it-"

The plane shakes harder than before and Claire knows that something is going wrong. She sees a piece of metal fall from the ceiling and hit a man on the head. She hears people screaming and feels the plane descending in an unnatural way. She knows when the back end of the plane has broken off. She says nothing. She only holds her stomach and blinks around the plane.

The last thing she remembers is seeing him just barely smile at her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Claire's eyes flutter open rapidly and she immediately feels shrieking pain in her back. It takes her a moment to realize that she's bent backwards over a rock and that the waves of the ocean are crashing against it, soaking her clothes and hair.

She was supposed to be in Los Angeles. She was supposed to be giving her baby away and starting her real life. Now she doesn't know where she is.

The next thing she notices is that people are screaming and she can smell smoke and see the gray haze hanging in the sky. She cradles her stomach with one hand while using the other to prop herself up. She groans from the pain that shoots through her as she does so.

Her feet are underneath the water and her socks feel heavy under her shoes. She plants her feet firmly into the sand and shallow water and pushes herself up, panting from how much it exhausts her.

She waddles out of the water and collapses by another rock on the beach. She groans, more from the pain in her neck than anything else. She looks up and makes eye contact with a tall man with a buzz cut who is running around, talking to everyone clustered around the mess that is the plane. He runs over to her, shouting something over his shoulder as he does so.

"How many months pregnant are you?" He asks Claire.

"Eight," she pants, "Just eight, I-I'm fine."

He puts his hand on her forehead and screams for someone to get her some water. She blinks up at him.

"Are you...a doctor or something?"

He nods. "Yeah, just...just stay here, alright!"

He's completely intense about it and Claire just nods like an idiot and watches him race off in the other direction.

She looks around the beach, scanning everything. They're on an island. That much is clear to her. Nothing else is though. She doesn't remember when the plane went down. She doesn't know what is going on or whether or not a rescue team is coming. She doesn't know who these people are or why they were on they godforsaken flight. Flight 815.

But one question keeps repeating itself in her mind. The man sitting next to her. where was he? where did he go. Was he dead? Wouldn't he have been thrown where she was? Or maybe he ran after he woke up. But why would he run? To think of one person fending for themselves out in the jungle of a seemingly deserted island is ridiculous. He would have no chance of survival.

Although. Claire never would have thought there was any chance her surviving a plane crash and...

But why had she survived? There are dead bodies all over the beach and probably inside the plane, and yet a barely over five feet tall pregnant girl had managed to live through this. It makes her feel guilty. These people had lives and families. Probably more so than she does and yet she had been the one to survive and they hadn't.

All of the people look horrible. There's the doctor, who's still running around trying to fix everyone. There's a blond boy, about her age, who looks sick and troubled. A brunette with long, wavy hair is waving at the doctor as if her life depends on it (which it easily could.) And beside her a tall blond is screaming like the world is ending. then, to her utter astonishment, she sees a tall blond man going through people's luggage!

Claire begins to wonder if she was the only sane person on the damned plane.

The only person besides her who isn't completely freaking out or thieving is an older bald man. He walking back and forth on the beach looking completely astonished and...happy. More than happy, actually, he looks completely ecstatic. Like the weight of the world has just been lifted from his shoulders.

"Honestly," Claire mutters to herself, "I will never understa-"

"I want you to come with me, dearie."

The sound of a voice in her ear nearly sends her flying out of her soaking wet sneakers. She whips around, her wet, blond, wavy hair smacking her face in the process.

"You!" She gasps, taking in the sight of the man who had been sitting next to her, "You're alive...how..."

He shushes her softly and says, "That's not important. I need you to come with me."

Claire blinks at him and shakes her head. "The doctor told me to stay here."

"You don't need a doctor."

She shakes her head at him and gives him her best 'you're a fucking moron' look while pointing to her stomach.

"You're going to be fine, Claire. I promise."

And when he promises her that, she almost believes him and follows him out into the jungle. Staring into his eyes-brown with just a glimmer of Gold-she wants to believe him more than anything. He seems so sincere. Like he truly means what he's saying. She _almost _believes him.

"I-I can't. I'm alone. On an island. And I-I'm pregnant. I can't just go wandering off with you."

He nods and she swears she sees something menacing flicker across his features. "Fair enough. But I warn you. If you don't come with me now, nothing good will come of it."

For all she knows, this could be a completely empty threat. But it doesn't feel empty. It feels like the worst thing anyone has ever said to her coming from him. He says the words coldly and flatly, and she knows that he means them.

She swallows hard and nods. "Okay. I will go with you."

A smile spreads across his face and she tries not to be terrified by it. He tugs on her wrist and they both stand up. Then, ever so carefully, he loops his arm around her waist and leads her into the jungle.

**A/N: Well, I think that for losing over half of it in the middle due to computer crashing issues, that actually came out alright! Not going to lie, it was super fun, too! I'm definitely going to continue this as soon as I can. I was actually hoping to explain more here, but I didn't have time. However, I promise there is a plan, and I will stick to it. Hope the first chapter didn't disappoint much!**


	2. Chapter 2

The Mysterious Island Part 2

"Can I ask you something?" Claire says, stepping over branches to catch up with the man in front of her. He says nothing, which she takes as license for her to go on ahead. "Are you a Scorpio?"

He turns around and gives her an odd look for only a second before turning his attentions back to the jungle ahead of them. "Yes," he says flatly, not taking a look at her.

"Hmm, I thought so," she says, sounding a bit excited and rushing up to get closer to him, "Powerful, passionate, dramatic. It wasn't hard to see."

"Hm."

She sighs at his lack of adequate response and continues talking. "I mean, I know that nobody takes the whole astrology thing seriously, but I've always been entertained by it, you know? And I don't think it's stupid. I got you right, after all."

He still doesn't say anything, and Claire finds herself getting a little irritated by him.

"Are you going to tell me why you decided to take me on your little jungle adventure? There are strong people back there. Why did you take the...distraught pregnant girl?" She asks, hoping it will stimulate some sort of conversation.

"You are the one I need for this," he tells her simply, "You are the only one who can make this work."

"Why is that?"

"Trust me, Claire. You are meant to do this."

She stamps her foot on a stick, breaking it in half and frightening even herself with her sudden change in her mood. "What I was meant to do is go to Los Angeles and give up my baby for adoption, not get stuck on some ridiculous island with a man I have never met, who is claiming to know my destiny!"

He turns and blinks at her once. "This is your destiny."

She rolls her eyes and starts to walk again. "I hope you're planning on taking me back soon. The rescue is going to be there soon and-"

"No one is coming to rescue anyone," he tells her, and she knows in her gut that it is true even though she has absolutely no proof of it. But the way he says those words is so serious, so absolutely final, that she knows he cannot be lying.

"How do you know that?" She asks timidly, hoping he will not have an answer.

"The island is impossible to find, and the pilot was flying us off course for over a thousand miles." He says, looking straight ahead again. It's as if she entertains him for only seconds before he becomes bored with her and focuses on his own business again. It is infuriating to her, wondering if he simply does not like her, or if he just has better things to pay attention to.

"How do you know that? Have you been here before?"

"No. I know it because I have been looking for this place quite a long time, dearie."

"Why?"

"Because there is something very special here. Something I will show you soon."

Her brow furrows and she blinks in confusion. Nothing he says is helping her. It is like she asks him questions and his answers only provide her with more. Why would anyone spend their time searching for this island? It did not seem like anything special to Claire. However, she assumes that her questions will be answered in time, and tries to floor him again by saying, "If there really is no rescue coming, you still have to take me back to the beach soon. I'm pregnant, remember? And the only doctor on the island is at the beach."

"He's not the only doctor on the island, but I understand your concern. We shall return to the beach by nightfall."

She had not even asked a question that time, only made a statement, and he still manages to confuse her. What did he mean there were more doctors on the island? What sense did that make? From all that Claire could tell, the island is completely deserted. But it is becoming clear to her that all she can tell is not, in fact, all there is. From what he is telling her, it becomes clear that they are not on the average island.

He stops and she nearly trips over her own feet to keep from running into him. Looking ahead, she sees a cave with water running into it and light spilling out of it. He is looking into it with the sane amusement she is.

"What is it?" She asks.

Instead of answering her, he steps into the river leading up the the cave and walks forward before picking up one of the rocks at the edge of the cave entrance. She feels some kind of force begin to posses not exactly her, but the area around her. "What's happening!?" She yells, but she can hardly hear herself as she watches him toss the rock down the cave and sees a pillar of black smoke release itself from it's depths. Claire squeezes her eyes shut and covers her ears but she can still hear it. The sound it makes is loud, and nearly crushes her eardrums, but it only lasts a second. When she opens her eyes again, the smoke is gone, and it is only her companion standing there with a proud smirk on his face next to a now lifeless cave.

"What-" she says, panting and trying not to show how freaked out she is, "What did you just do!? What was that thing!? What-"

"Shh," he says, "it's done now. We can return to the beach."

Claire's eyes bug. "Are you joking!? You unleash some black smoke...monster thing and expect me to just follow you back without an explanation!?"

"It is not a simple thing to explain, dearie, I-"

"Try! Try to explain it! It will be hard to confuse me any more than you already have!"

He sighs and shakes his head at her stubbornness before saying, "That is what I came here for. To harness...that. The force that is on this island. I need it now that..." He trails off, hoping it will be enough to satisfy her.

"And what is this force? Some kind of magic you need?" She demands, mocking the idea.

He closes his eyes and turns his head. "Yes, actually. I wanted the magic held by this place. I know that you do not understand, but it was never my intention for you to." He begins walking away from the area in the direction they came from.

She follows him with a completely flabbergasted expression. "Who- who the hell are you?" She asks.

He laughs softly. "You would never believe me if I told you."

**A/N: Wow, that was actually pretty fun, even though I used some of the LOST plot points that I really hate. However, at least I got rid of them quick instead of waiting six seasons, right? I know it was short, but I promise the chapters will be longer later, I was just in a bit of a rush, for which I apologize. Anyway, next chapter I'll be adding some more characters and perhaps some romance. Hope y'all liked! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** The Mysterious Island

**Rating**: T

**Pairing:** RumpelstiltskinxClaire

**Fandoms**: Once Upon a Time/Lost

**A/N:** Sorry I have not updated in forever! I have been so busy with other things! Thanks to everyone who is still with me!

"How do you know how to get back to the beach?" Claire asks.

He laughs. "I have been paying attention to where we've been going."

She wants to be angry and yell about having no idea what is going on, but she chooses not to. "Sure," she mutters, "Okay."

They walk in silence for a moment before Claire says, "Why did you have me come with you."

It is a fair question. She had not really done anything besides stand and be scared to death.

"I needed you because you are not a candidate. Had I brought someone else along things may have gone...differently."

Well that definitely explained nothing.

"Um. Okay. Why did you need to bring anyone?"

Claire asks, "Shouldn't you have just done it alone?"

"That wasn't an option either."

Claire gives him a strange look. This, all of this, is impossible. She should be terrified and losing her mind, but she is not. She does not worry about what will happen, and instead only wonders about the strange man beside her. He is different, unlike anyone she has ever met in her life. It is almost as if...as if he is not even from this world.

His eyes never meet hers, though she does feel them lingering on her stomach which instantly makes her feel the need to wrap her arms around it protectively. It is silly since obviously he cannot do anything to her baby, but the way he looked there almost makes her think otherwise.

The second Claire steps out of the trees and onto the beach, the doctor runs toward her.

"Are you alright!?" He demands, sounding completely panicked, "Are you hurt? Where did you go? Who the hell is this?"

"I-" Claire starts to say, though she has no idea what she plans on saying since her and the doctor are sort of on the same page with the 'who the hell is this?' question.

However, she does not have time to think about it because the man beside her interjects saying, "I was calling for help in the jungle, having crashed alone I was unsure if there were other survivors of the crash. Miss Littleton came and found me."

He sounds honest, which terrifies Claire purely because she knows he is anything but. Still, she feels as though going against his lies will not help her at all. With this logic, she says, "Um, yeah. I'm fine."

The doctor looks incredibly suspicious, which is insane because when the other man had spoken he seemed to believe it. But thankfully, he does not press the issue. "You should come lie down, maybe get some water, Miss...Littleton."

"Claire," she offers, "And thank you."

"I'm Jack," the doctor tells her, and not in a very kind way. He seems irked that Claire got in the way of his fixing everything by disappearing, "We should move down to the beach and wait for rescue. They should be coming soon, you were gone for a long time," Jack turns to the man beside Claire and says, "You're welcome to come too, Mr..."

"Gold," he says, and Claire wonders if he is lying.

~xx~

"Kate!" Jack yells across the beach to a pretty brunette standing under a tree. She has bright eyes and her face is splattered with freckles. She looks calmer than everyone else around, which Claire hopes will be helpful for Jack and his apparent craziness.

The girl, Kate, runs over to the trio. "Jack," she says, "You found her!"

He nods. "Any sign of the rescue?"

Kate shakes her head. "Not yet." And noticing Jack's expression she says, "But they're coming, Jack."

Claire looks to her right at Mr. Gold. His expression is blank and unreadable. But even so, Claire can tell he knows something. Perhaps something no one else knows.

"So...what do we do now?" Claire asks. This entire thing is crazy. She is trapped on a seemingly deserted island with a man whose motives are completely confusing and ridiculous to her. It does not get much worse than that.

"I don't know..." Kate says, "Jack?"

Jack looks over at her quickly before turning his gaze back to Claire. "We wait." He tells her.

Everyone stands in silence. After all, this tactic of simply waiting could prove to be completely ineffective. Claire knows that better than anyone here (besides Mr. Gold) having been told that there is no rescue coming at all.

But this information had come from the same man who took magic light from a cave not even an hour ago. Obviously, taking him seriously is something to be done in moderation.

Still, he had been so serious, and Claire is not one to be fooled easily. He wants something with this island, and it is easy to see that no one will be leaving until he gets it.

~xx~

She had woken up screaming.

At least, that is what Jack is saying. Claire knows that she was awake the entire time. Someone had tried to take her away. They had been trying to hurt her baby.

"Claire, please," Jack had told her, "We can look for whoever did this to you, but for now you really need to take these. They're just sleeping pills, you'll be fine."

"You think I'm making this up!?" Claire had demanded, "Why would I do that?"

"Look, I'm sorry. And I know that we're still waiting for rescue, but while that's the way it is, you really need to sleep. All this excitement isn't good for your baby." Jack had been trying to comfort her, but she was angry.

She tosses the pills back at him. "I know what's good for my baby, Jack!" she spat, storming off in the other direction.

She is so angry now, pacing down the beach. Everyone thinks she is crazy because of Jack. Even Kate is questioning her sanity. It is exhausting to be the pregnant girl on the mysterious island. Everyone is always assuming that she is losing her mind.

She is walking so fast that it takes her a moment to register to the fact that she has bumped right into someone. "Oh!" She gasps, taking a step back and nearly falling into the sand, but someone steadies her.

"Claire," a voice says, "are you alright?"

She looks up. It's Gold, looking at her with such concern. "Yes," she breathes, trying not to let her anger show too much, "Yeah, I-I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You were racing like you had the devil chasing you."

"Was I?" She questions, "I was just angry. But, really, I'm fine."

"Ah," Gold says, "Because of what happened last night." He looks off into the distance, as if remembering something.

"Jack thinks I'm just making all this up," she says, shaking her head and rolling her eyes, "You don't think that, do you?"

"No. I trust you judgment. And I believe ypu are capable of telling the difference between fantasy and reality."

She laughs, "I don't really know about that anymore. Most everything on this island is insane. I just want the rescue to come."

"Hm" Gold muses, "Well I wouldn't count on that of I were you."

He had said that once before, that the rescue is not coming. She had chosen not to believe him, and wants to choose it again. However, her curiosity gets the better of her. "How long arw we going to be on this island, Mr. Gold?" She asks.

"For as long as the island needs you. All of you."

Claire sighs, running her hand through her hair. "You don't make any sense to me," she informs him, "but you can always choose to trust me, you know."

"Perhaps I will one day."

There is a silence between them before someone comes running down the beach. "She's over there!" They scream, "I'll get her!"

Claire turns around. It's Charlie, running toward her and flailing his arms like a madman.

"Claire!" He yells, catching up to her, "Claire," he catches her shoulder and beams, apparently proud of himself for wrecking her moment with Mr. Gold, "What are you doing over here? Jack wants to talk to you again."

Gold straightens up, "Oh, I'll take her," he offers.

Charlie gives him a rude look. "No, it's fine. Jack sent me to get her. I think I can manage taking her back."

Gold waves his hand in the air and Claire swears that he rolls his eyes, which makes her giggle. Much as she likes Charlie, Gold is intriguing to her, and she does wish to spend as much time around him as possible. "As you wish," he tells Charlie, who latches onto Claire and drags her down the beach.

She does not take her eyes away from Mr. Gold for as long as possible, and he returns the gesture. He is an odd man, but one who never failed to grab her attention.

Charlie taps on her shoulder. "Who is that?" he asks, "Creepy fellow, don't you think?"

Claire shrugs. "I don't know who he is, really," she admits, "But if there is anyone on this island I trust, it's him."


End file.
